Ingee



(No Model.)

G. A. MUENOHINGER.

INCUBATOR.

Patented July 12, 1887.

N. PETERS. Pmmunwgnpher, wammgmn, n.1;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G'USTAVE A. MUENOHINGER, OF NE\VPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,599, dated July 12, 18E/7.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, GUs'rAvE A. MUENCH- INGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county ot' Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Incubators, ot' which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in iucnbators; and it consists of the peculiar construction and combination of par-ts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and speeiiically pointed out in the claims.

The present invention is especially designed as an improvement in the class of incubators shown in Patent No. 260,219, granted to Paul G. Muenchinger and mysclfjointly on the 27th day of June, `1882; and it has for its objects to provide means which shall be very compact and strong in construction and occupy a minimum amount of space, and to provide means whereby lthe current of heated air arising from the tank shall be deflected on the sides ofthe egg-tray to prevent direct contact with the eggs thereon.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of an incubator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line x .r of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 9/ y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view in plan of the evaporating tray or pan, and Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sec tional view of a moditied form of the dedector F.

Like letters of reference in the several gures ofthe drawings denote like parts.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the body of the incubator, which is supported upon suitable legs or uprights, a, and has double spaced-apart walls A', having an intermediate non-conducting packing or filling, to render the chamber or chambers of the body airtight, so as to be unaffected by the outside temperature.

B designates a tank arranged a short distance above the bottom of the body A, and tting elosel y and tightly against its side walls, to prevent the escape of any impure gases or fumes that may arise from the heating apparatus into the chamber of the body A, to prevent the air therein from becoming foul orimpure. The tank B, being arranged above the bottom ofthe body A, leaves an intermediate space or chamber between said bottom of the body and the tank, the latter having a supplypipe, b, and a draw-olf cock or valve, b. The bottom of the body has an opening or port, a', at or near its middle, and through this port passes the heated air, gases, &c., from the heating apparatus C, located beneath the body and supported on a shelf', c, or in a bracket suspended from the bottom, as will be very readily understood. rlhe impure gases and odors that accumulate in the hot-air chamber beneath the tank escape through openings c in the walls of the chamber after the heat thereof has been utilized to heat the bottom of the tank and the water contained therein.

D designates an evaporating pan or tray resting on the upper wall or top of the tank B, and having a number of water-tight cour partments, d, formed by longitudinal and transverse partitions d, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. By means of these independent compartments of the evaporatingpan the quantity of moisture supplied to the air in the chamber can be very easily regulated, according to the stages ot' incubation of the eggs. The evaporating-pan is left open at its top for the free escape of steam arising from the'water contained in the pan, and the pan and water is heated by contact with the metallic walls ofthe tank, an opening being left in one ot' the walls of the body A for the insertion and withdrawal of the said pan, and this opening is closed by a hinged or pivoted door.

E designates inlets or openings arranged on opposite sides of the end walls of the body, on each side ot and a little above the evaporatingpan D, said openings serving to admit fresh cool air into the chamber, and being normally closed by doors or ilaps c.

F designates a detiector or partition, which is arranged above the tank B and pan D, and this detlector is suitably supported at its ends by cleats or other devices on the side walls of the incubator, while the sides of the deflector are arranged out of contact with the walls of the incubator, to permit the ascending heat and steam from the pan D to pass around the defleetor and over the egg-tray H, the dellector being arranged immediately beneath the eggtray, so as to protect the latter from the direct action of the heat and steam.

The deileetor may be made of a single piece or board, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, or it may be made o1" two parallel IOO boards or plates secured together in such manner that an intermediate dead-air space is provided between them, as shown in Fig. 5; and

the sides of the egg drawer and tray.

G is an evaporating-pan supported on the' deiiecting-partition F, and having water there- 1n, and G designates a series of openings on opposite sides of the end wallsof the body immediately above the moistcning-pan G and beneath the egg-drawer H.

The egg-drawer has a wire-screen bottom, and is supported on cleats or ledges, and it may be constructed in the manner shown in the patent hereinbefore referred'to. In this manner two drawers may be inserted-one above the otherwith the same results. By means of the series of inlet-apertures G' a constant sup- -ply of cool fresh air is maintained beneath the egg-drawer, to prevent any highly-heated currents of air from circulating beneath the said drawer, and the deIieeting-partition and the intermediate evaporating-pan, G, delects the rising currents of heated air around the sides of the egg-drawer and above the same, so that it circulates and comes in contact with the eggs on the upper surfaces thereof, the direction of the air-currents being indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

H designates the escape pipe or outletchimney for the hot air of the incubatorchamber, and this escape-pipe is provided with two valves or dempers, I I', which are suitably piv- 4 oted therein,'and are actuated by any suitable means to regulate the temperature of the chamber. I prefer to employ an automatic electric regulator of the class shown in apending application filed by me on the 3d day of March, 1886,'Serial No. 193,897, and which may be brieiiy described as follows:

I? designates the thermostat,that is inclosed and suitably supported in the chamber of the incubator, and this thermostat is connected in circuit with an electro-magnet, N, and a galvanic or other battery', O, byy intermediate wires. The magnet N is suitably supported on a bracket, N', and attracts an armature, M, that is carried by-a pivoted lever, L, when the heat in the chamber exceeds the normal temperature thereof and influences the thermostat to generate a currentthrough the electric circuit. The pivoted lever Lis connected with another pivoted lever, J', that is connected with the valves I I', to actuate the latter when the armature M is 'attracted and released by the electro-magnet.

Q-designates an opening in the body A, on the plane of the egg tray or drawer, and said opening is covered by a glass plate or other transparent substance, to permit inspection of the eggs, the glass front being protected by a hinged door or iiap, Q.

R designates a chamber arranged below the hot-air chamber and the water-tank B, to one corner or side of the body, the said chamberl being provided for the reception of the chickens until they are old enough to take care of themselves and be released. This chamber is partitioned off from the hot-air ehamber beneath the tank, and is heated to the proper temperature by the tank, which is arranged over the same, the chamber having a hinged or pivoted door and air-inlet ports to supply fresh air thereto and regulate the temperature.

The operation and advantages of my inventio'n will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings.

IVhen the valves or dampers are opened, a current of cool fresh air passes through the openings 0r inlets E and the chamber and out through the escape-pipe, thus rapidly reducing the temperature of the chamber and furnishing a fresh supply of pure air.

What I claim as new isl. In an incubator, the combination, with the incubating-chamber thereof, of the evaporating-pan locatedtherein and heated by the properheat-source of the incubator, said pan being provided with a series of compartments, each of which are independent of one another, and are designed to hold evaporating-fiuid, as set forth.

2'. In an incubator, the combination of a body provided with air-inlet ports, a heatingtank, an elevated egg-drawer, and a deiiector located between the tank and drawer, the airinlet ports being located between the deflector and drawer, substantially as described.

' 3. In an incubator, the combination of a body provided with air-inlets, a heating-tank located therein, an evaporating-pan located on the tank, an elevated egg-drawer, a deiectorpartition arranged between the tank and egg` drawer, and an upper evaporating-pan 'supported on the partition, the air-inlets being between the upper pan and eggdrawer, substantially as described.

4. In an incubator, the incubatingchamber having the egg tray or trays, the evaporatingpan in the'ineubating-chamber below the eggtrays and forming a partial partition in the incubating-chamber, the deflector below the said partial partition, and the heating chamber below the-defleetor, as set forth.

5. In an incubator, the incubating-chamber having the egg tray or trays, the evaporatingpan in the incubating-chamber below the eggtrays and forming a partial partition in the incubatingehamber, the delector below the said partial partition, the heating-tank B, and the evaporating-pan between the tank and the deflector, as set forth. v f

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUs'rAvn A. rinunci-linens.

IOO 

